I love Christmas.
It is by far one of my favorite holidays. I love the decorations. I love the music. I love the lights. I love the family time. I love the stories and the movies. And I love the meaning of Christmas. Hearing the Christmas story, hearing God's word.
This year has been no different. I will admit, I was a little nervous about how this Christmas would go, the first one since the divorce. How would time get split with Jacob? I was selfishly wanting him to be with me on Christmas but didn't want to take away an opportunity for him to see family he doesn't get to see very often either. Luckily, everything seemed to fall into place. Jacob was able to go down to Des Moines the weekend before Christmas and my dad picked him up on Christmas Eve day to bring him back home.
What from I can tell and was told, Jacob had an absolutely fabulous time in Iowa. He seriously loves his cousins so much!! I saw a few short videos of them playing and it just warms my heart. I hate that they don't get to see each other more. I'm also jealous of the fact that I'm not there anymore to really watch and enjoy that interaction between the three of them. They're at such a fun age with great imaginations. Jacob, of course, loved opening up presents as well! Who doesn't!? And he came home with plenty of new toys and clothes! Although, strangely enough, his favorite "toy" was a tape measure! :) It's always the little things!
I was certainly wrapped up in a lot of Christmas music this year. The Advent Cantata put on at Christ the King was a big one this year. Our director certainly put us to work with a lot of music and not very easy music. But all the hard work absolutely paid off, and we had some great performances. We heard a lot of great compliments. I still find myself singing some of those songs too!
I also agreed to sing at the services on Christmas Eve. While there were a total of four services, the praise band only sang at three. And we had three very difficult songs that included quite a few instruments. I was pretty nervous we weren't going to get the songs ready in time for the service, but we did and they were some really fun songs to sing. While my performing was done after three services, I also went with my mom out to Butternut; she had volunteered to play the piano. And then, Jacob and I went along to the 10pm candlelight service at CTK. So there was plenty of more singing!
But in addition to the singing, I really enjoyed the two messages I heard that day. And I enjoyed how they tied into each other. If you want to hear one of the messages, you can view past services of CTK on their website. But I have a bible journaling entry in mind for these messages so I'll let that speak for itself once I have it done. :)
Once we got home, very late and very much past our bedtime, a very tired Jacob helped me put out cookies and milk and reluctantly let me take his picture in front of the tree before climbing into bed. The next morning, Daddy joined us to see what Santa had brought Jacob! It took a groggy Jacob a moment to realize that Santa had brought presents but when he did, the first thing he noticed was "the booger game!!" Yes, Santa brought Jacob a Gooey Louie game. If you're not familiar with this, you basically pick booger's out of Louie's nose and try not to be the one who blows his brains out. This was what Jacob asked for. Boys. As Daddy worked putting that together, he went through his stocking, getting very excited about the chocolate and wanting it for breakfast. There was also a stuffed toy that Jacob had basically thrown aside in his excitement to get to the booger game, but when I held it out to him and asked him what it was, he happily yelled "It's the Grinch!!" How the Grinch Stole Christmas has been a favorite book and movie of Jacob's this year. He can practically recite the whole book himself. He was very excited to have his own Grinch. He opened some other presents that weren't quite as exciting - new PJs, socks, underwear - and then got to open the biggest present under the tree. It was a dinosaur attack playset from his dad. As soon as Jacob saw that big dinosaur, oh boy! He started yelling and jumping up and down - "dinosaur! dinosaur! dinosaur! dinosaur!" :) Let's just say, it was a big hit.
Later that day, we had a nice mid-afternoon meal of appetizers and desserts. Meg made it home and Missy & Joe and Grandma and Grandpa joined us. Jacob also got to open another present from his great-grandparents - a big book on the t-rex! These people know Jacob. :)
Daniel and Josh got home on Wednesday night and Daniel brought the flu with him. :-/ On Friday, we celebrated our family Christmas. We opened presents that morning while we ate sticky buns. We had a big Christmas dinner that evening. It finally felt like Christmas was here. Mom and Dad both got exactly what they wanted for Christmas, without any surprise, thanks in part to Amazon and Jacob. haha For a sibling exchange, we did books. It started out as a cookbook exchange but a well known fact about me is that I don't cook. So I have no need for a cookbook. Well, Dan had my name and when I opened the box - a cookbook on the basics, including over 1000 pictures! My brother is so funny. My dad said I have to cook supper twice a month now. I must think of some sort of revenge. But Daniel also got me two books that were actually on my list, so maybe not any big revenge....
Jacob, of course, continued to get spoiled by everyone. Books and dinosaurs and toys! He also got a new dinosaur bed set and dinosaur lamp for his room. I'm hoping this will be exciting for Jacob as we transition him into sleeping in his own bed again. Wish me luck. He also got a toy from Nana and Papa that he had seen in the store - Mr. Dusty - a dump truck that scoops up toys like legos. He literally jumped up and down when he opened that gift. The only problem with this toy? The noise was not on when we viewed it in the store. It's loud and obnoxious and has a very short list of phrases. Haha. But Jacob loves it. Actually, I don't think there was anything that he didn't really love.
We also played a small "game". Mom bought a bunch of small gifts from the Dollar Tree and wrapped them all up. Then we took turns pulling gifts out of the bag and opening them. Or if someone else got something we wanted, we could steal. It was pretty fun, but Jacob was definitely the most excited! He just loves opening presents! :)
On Saturday, we had another family gathering with my dad's side of the family. There were a lot of people in our house, a lot of kids and noise, and a lot of food and drink. It was nice to see so many family members and enjoy that time together. The basement did become a bit of a madhouse when the kids discovered the trampoline... hehe
The rest of the holidays were spent just spending time together, binge watching the Crown on Netflix and playing some games. It's always hard when we have to say goodbye to everyone, but it definitely makes us appreciate our time together.
Overall, it was a very successful Christmas season.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Peace on Earth
So, a few weeks ago I was not in a great place. Things were going on in life and I was hurting and stressed and confused. My mom and I went for a walk and I decided to ask her a deep question. This was right after the terrorist attacks in Paris and I asked my mom (the Pastor): "What's the point? What is the point of living on this earth when so many bad things are happening? Why do we even bother? If heaven is so great, why don't we just go now?"
She gave me the good Pastoral answer that this is life. We're meant to be here and to bring God's message to other people. We're suppose to be hopeful. But I admit, her answer didn't stay with me. I wasn't in the right place in my life to hear what she was telling me.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve. Austin and I went to the 11:00 p.m. candlelit service at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. We left Jacob back at his aunt and uncle's soundly asleep. At this point in my life, I was in a better place than I was a few weeks ago. I also can't tell you the last time I was able to go to a church service without a two and a half year old!
The message that Christmas Eve night?
Peace.
I want to share to you some of my thoughts throughout this service. Because it had been a while since I had gotten so much out of the message. I want to share with you because there were things that I needed to hear. That I needed to understand. And maybe you do too.
Living in Smalltown, Midwest, USA - even with access to social media and the internet - you sometimes get caught up in just this small little world around you. You forget that there is so much more out there. You forget that there are people all over the world experiencing life in different ways. So at the beginning of this church service, they walked in flags from countries all over the world. And I thought "how amazing that there are other Christians in all of these other countries and tonight, we are all connected by the same story. The same baby boy that came to earth." Have you thought about that? The number of people celebrating His birth all over the world? The traditions might be different. The story will sound different in different tongue. But it is all about the same baby boy. Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6-7 We listened to this in Arabic. In Spanish. In German. And in English. All the same story.
So here are my notes from that night. Because I feel like the one thing this world needs right now is Peace. And while during Christmas we often say "Peace on Earth" - what does that mean? How do we accomplish that? I am just one person.
"And he will be called Prince of Peace" This baby, this tiny newborn baby, is a prince of peace. Jesus is peace. "Those that walk in the dark, will see a bright light." (Isaiah 9:2) Jesus is that light. We have peace in Jesus.
God saw what His creation needed, so he stepped in. We needed peace. God sent us Jesus. God gave us the ultimate gift: the gift of peace.
Think about what led the shepherds and the wise men to the stable. What will lead you to the stable? What will lead you to the manager? What will lead you to Jesus? To recognize God's gift to us? God's love? God's peace? What will it take?
If we let Him, God will renew our hope. God will renew our peace. If we let Him.
But the chaos (in our world) keeps spinning... why? Is it that we aren't letting God in?
Peace is to live at rest. God offers us His gift of peace. All we need need to do is accept. We have hope that is rooted in God's promise to us. Our hope is rooted in a God that shows up. That offers us His peace. He shows up. Will we open the door?
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Good will make a way. God is with us. Emmanuel - God with us.
The best each of us can do is to allow God's peace in our life.
Show God's peace to other people.
Treat each life the gift it is, a gift from God.
Share God's peace to others.
If we do that, if we shine with God's light and God's peace, we will bring peace to this world. If each person does that, God's peace will spread over this whole world. Peace with God is possible.
The celebration of Christmas: Peace. Life. Love. Joy.
She gave me the good Pastoral answer that this is life. We're meant to be here and to bring God's message to other people. We're suppose to be hopeful. But I admit, her answer didn't stay with me. I wasn't in the right place in my life to hear what she was telling me.
Fast forward to Christmas Eve. Austin and I went to the 11:00 p.m. candlelit service at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. We left Jacob back at his aunt and uncle's soundly asleep. At this point in my life, I was in a better place than I was a few weeks ago. I also can't tell you the last time I was able to go to a church service without a two and a half year old!
The message that Christmas Eve night?
Peace.
I want to share to you some of my thoughts throughout this service. Because it had been a while since I had gotten so much out of the message. I want to share with you because there were things that I needed to hear. That I needed to understand. And maybe you do too.
Living in Smalltown, Midwest, USA - even with access to social media and the internet - you sometimes get caught up in just this small little world around you. You forget that there is so much more out there. You forget that there are people all over the world experiencing life in different ways. So at the beginning of this church service, they walked in flags from countries all over the world. And I thought "how amazing that there are other Christians in all of these other countries and tonight, we are all connected by the same story. The same baby boy that came to earth." Have you thought about that? The number of people celebrating His birth all over the world? The traditions might be different. The story will sound different in different tongue. But it is all about the same baby boy. Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6-7 We listened to this in Arabic. In Spanish. In German. And in English. All the same story.
So here are my notes from that night. Because I feel like the one thing this world needs right now is Peace. And while during Christmas we often say "Peace on Earth" - what does that mean? How do we accomplish that? I am just one person.
"And he will be called Prince of Peace" This baby, this tiny newborn baby, is a prince of peace. Jesus is peace. "Those that walk in the dark, will see a bright light." (Isaiah 9:2) Jesus is that light. We have peace in Jesus.
God saw what His creation needed, so he stepped in. We needed peace. God sent us Jesus. God gave us the ultimate gift: the gift of peace.
Think about what led the shepherds and the wise men to the stable. What will lead you to the stable? What will lead you to the manager? What will lead you to Jesus? To recognize God's gift to us? God's love? God's peace? What will it take?
If we let Him, God will renew our hope. God will renew our peace. If we let Him.
But the chaos (in our world) keeps spinning... why? Is it that we aren't letting God in?
Peace is to live at rest. God offers us His gift of peace. All we need need to do is accept. We have hope that is rooted in God's promise to us. Our hope is rooted in a God that shows up. That offers us His peace. He shows up. Will we open the door?
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Good will make a way. God is with us. Emmanuel - God with us.
The best each of us can do is to allow God's peace in our life.
Show God's peace to other people.
Treat each life the gift it is, a gift from God.
Share God's peace to others.
If we do that, if we shine with God's light and God's peace, we will bring peace to this world. If each person does that, God's peace will spread over this whole world. Peace with God is possible.
The celebration of Christmas: Peace. Life. Love. Joy.
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along th'unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
'There is no peace on earth, ' I said
'For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.'
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.'
Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Henry Wadsworth LongfellowThe last thought I had that night, as the candles danced all around me during Silent Night, was of Christmas lights. Lights from God, of God. Lights in the darkness. Jacob thinks that the Christmas lights look like birthday candles: Happy Birthday Jesus.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Little Baby Z :)
I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but shortly after my last post, I started traveling for work and then we found out we were pregnant! :) So I thought I'd take the time now, since we've recently shared the news with everyone, to update you on our life and the pregnancy.
So the fall travel season started out normal and I was busy visiting high schools and college fairs. It was the week of October 22nd and I was up in Minnesota for some college fairs. As the week went on, I started feeling sick but really didn't think much of it - I thought I had just picked something up from the road or one of the many high schools I had visited. I wasn't feeling any better and when I went into work on Friday for our Open House I think I made it until about 8:30am before I had to give up and go home because I was so sick. I spent the rest of the day sleeping. That night, it was actually Austin that suggested I take a pregnancy test because it's rare that I get sick for that long. I told him I would take one but I wasn't going to look at the results - he would have to do that. Because in all honesty, we had been trying for a while and I was getting tired of being disappointed by the negative test results. He agreed, so I took the test and left it in the bathroom for him to look at and went back to bed. Three minutes later, Austin came out of the bathroom and said, you might want to look at this. It was positive! :) Even though we had been trying, it was still a bit of a shock to see! But Austin and I were both so excited!
We both agreed we weren't going to tell anyone right away until after seeing the doctor and such. But the next day, we were suppose to go to Des Moines to help Matt and Amber move into a new apartment. Looking back, I probably should have just sent Austin and stayed home because really I was of no help. When we got there, we told the family I had picked something up on the road and wasn't feeling good. Austin's mom asked (somewhat jokingly) "Are you pregnant?" I laughed it off and said no, that would be much more fun being sick if I was! However, I would soon learn that those words held no truth for me...
The first thing we did after finding out was to find a new doctor. The doctor we had been seeing was only a family doctor and didn't do deliveries. When I called to ask for a recommendation, the doctor's office really wasn't a lot of help. So I just searched the internet, found an OB-GYN doctor and made an appointment. Well luck was on our side because we absolutely love our doctor. She recently had a baby herself so knows exactly what I'm going through, she explains everything clearly to us, answers all of our questions and is just generally really nice. :) We had our first doctor appointment early November, when I was about 7 weeks along. I really wasn't expecting much from the appointment, mostly just to confirm I was pregnant. So it was a pleasant surprise when we were told we'd get to have an ultrasound! It's true, the little bean didn't look like much, but we could see the flickering of the heart. That made it all very real - to both of us!
After that appointment, we decided we would tell our immediate families at Thanksgiving our wonderful news. We first had Thanksgiving with Austin's family the week before Thanksgiving. For both sets of parents, we bought frames that on one side had a poem about a Little Grandbaby and on the other side we could put an ultrasound picture. We had Austin's mom open up the present and when she realized what it was, there were tears in her eyes. :) The excitement was there in everyone that we were expecting! It was also fun because Amber and Matt were expecting a little one (who would come a week later!!) and so we were happy that our babies would be so close in age and have someone to play with growing up.
Next it was time to tell my family. We went up to Minnesota the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and by the time we got there, it was fairly late. But everyone was still up and enjoying some drinks and appetizers so we joined in! My dad offered me a glass of wine and so to not give anything away, I accepted but didn't drink any. We actually had another present for my parents that night. In October, they celebrated 30 years of marriage! So Meg, Dan and I put together a photo book of pictures throughout the thirty years and in the back we had messages from family and friends. This was the first time we were all together so we had them open the book first. I think they were pretty amazed by it and impressed at all the work it took. Especially when they got to the messages in the back. My mom made a comment that we'd never be able to top a present like this again! (Little did she know...) After they looked through the book I said that Austin and I had another present for their anniversary and my sister joked about how we were showing them up. My dad was the one to open our present and once he opened it, he looked down at it, looked at us, looked down at the picture again and then up at us and said, "You're going to make me a Grandpa?" And when we said he, he (literally) jumped out of his chair and my mom started crying. I'd say it was a pretty good response. :) Again, everyone was very excited.
So both sets of parents are very excited to be grandparents, or grandparents again. And in some cases, I would even say they are more excited than Austin and I! As my mom put it, "I think we're more excited for this baby than we were our own because this time we're not scared to death!" :) Point well made, Mom.
Again, we decided that we wanted to wait until Christmas before telling extended family and that was pretty hard for both sets of parents. :) It was also hard for us! Especially at Thanksgiving with my dad's whole side of the family asking us when we were going to have kids, telling us we need to hurry up and making sure we had an announcement to tell everyone by the time Christmas came around. :) But we managed to make it through without anyone spilling the beans.
At the beginning of December, we had our second doctor's appointment and again had another ultrasound. This time the baby looked a little bit more like a baby and was even moving around for us. It was pretty cute though - and the doctor agreed - because the little one had it's feet up in the air and ankles crossed. It was definitely just hanging out. :) This time we were also able to hear the heartbeat and that was a magical sound. Again, just reaffirming that this is really happening!
Even though we had seen the baby a couple times and were able to share our excitement with family, this pregnancy was not going easy on me. From six weeks and on, I had horrible morning sickness. And it was not just in the morning, it was an all day battle. I was having a really hard time keeping most foods down and even on some really bad days, even drinking water was difficult. On top of this, I was still struggling to finish all of my high school visits. I was also constantly exhausted. Luckily, my job is pretty flexible and with comp time that I had from traveling, I was able to take days off when I needed it without using up all my sick days. Finally, when Austin was just as sick of me being sick as I probably was, he urged me to call the doctor and see what they could do. I had already tried some over the counter medicine but it wasn't helping. So I got a prescription to help with the nausea and was finally able to eat some food. It didn't make the morning sickness go away completely, but I was able to eat a little bit more. The every day morning sickness though lasted until about week 13 before it finally eased up and by that time I had lost about 20lbs. Luckily though, I was feeling much better as we headed into the holidays at home and was finally able to really eat some "real food" and all my Christmas favorites! :) Although I can tell my stomach has definitely shrunk because I can't eat very much before I get really full but at least I'm able to eat and have an appetite again! And at our most recent doctor's appointment, I was told it was okay to hit the desserts to start putting some of that weight back on. Not something you hear very often from a doctor! :)
Over the Christmas break, we were able to see most of our extended families (on both sides) and some friends and share our wonderful news with all of them. It was a lot of fun telling everyone each time we did and then answering questions and sharing stories. One of my favorite stories though is probably when we told my Grandparents on my mom's side. We skyped with them on Christmas morning and my dad actually recorded the video of us telling them. I'll share that video with you all when I can. :)
Our last doctor's appointment was on December 31st and this was just a quick one to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was a strong heartbeat in the 140's but the doctor was laughing because the little nut kept moving around! It looks like the baby already had Daddy's crazy energy! :) It really was the perfect way to end the year.
And now we're into 2013. Our due date is June 23rd and crazy enough, both Grandpa's also have birthdays in June! So I'd say it's a pretty good month! I'd also say that God's timing is pretty awesome because Austin will be done with school when the baby comes and will be able to be home with me and the baby all summer! Not only will I appreciate all the extra help, I'm sure, but it will be a great family bonding time! Our next appointment is January 22nd and we'll have our anatomy scan then to check and make sure everything is growing the way it should. We have also decided to wait and not find out the sex of the baby until he or she makes an appearance in June. :)
So life has been great. Things have been busy. And big changes are about to come. Austin and I are making sure we enjoy our lazy weekends of doing nothing and sleeping in as much as possible now before the little one arrives! :) But otherwise, it's life as normal. Austin is entering his busy time of year as he prepares students for solo/group ensemble contest and then large group contest after that. And soon I'll start traveling again with high school visits and college fairs. I'm sure the next six months are going to go by a lot faster than we hope! But I'll try to keep things updated on this blog on how everything is going with our growing family. Thank you all for your support and excitement for our little blessing. We are definitely looking forward to this next chapter in our lives!
So the fall travel season started out normal and I was busy visiting high schools and college fairs. It was the week of October 22nd and I was up in Minnesota for some college fairs. As the week went on, I started feeling sick but really didn't think much of it - I thought I had just picked something up from the road or one of the many high schools I had visited. I wasn't feeling any better and when I went into work on Friday for our Open House I think I made it until about 8:30am before I had to give up and go home because I was so sick. I spent the rest of the day sleeping. That night, it was actually Austin that suggested I take a pregnancy test because it's rare that I get sick for that long. I told him I would take one but I wasn't going to look at the results - he would have to do that. Because in all honesty, we had been trying for a while and I was getting tired of being disappointed by the negative test results. He agreed, so I took the test and left it in the bathroom for him to look at and went back to bed. Three minutes later, Austin came out of the bathroom and said, you might want to look at this. It was positive! :) Even though we had been trying, it was still a bit of a shock to see! But Austin and I were both so excited!
We both agreed we weren't going to tell anyone right away until after seeing the doctor and such. But the next day, we were suppose to go to Des Moines to help Matt and Amber move into a new apartment. Looking back, I probably should have just sent Austin and stayed home because really I was of no help. When we got there, we told the family I had picked something up on the road and wasn't feeling good. Austin's mom asked (somewhat jokingly) "Are you pregnant?" I laughed it off and said no, that would be much more fun being sick if I was! However, I would soon learn that those words held no truth for me...
The first thing we did after finding out was to find a new doctor. The doctor we had been seeing was only a family doctor and didn't do deliveries. When I called to ask for a recommendation, the doctor's office really wasn't a lot of help. So I just searched the internet, found an OB-GYN doctor and made an appointment. Well luck was on our side because we absolutely love our doctor. She recently had a baby herself so knows exactly what I'm going through, she explains everything clearly to us, answers all of our questions and is just generally really nice. :) We had our first doctor appointment early November, when I was about 7 weeks along. I really wasn't expecting much from the appointment, mostly just to confirm I was pregnant. So it was a pleasant surprise when we were told we'd get to have an ultrasound! It's true, the little bean didn't look like much, but we could see the flickering of the heart. That made it all very real - to both of us!
 |
| 7 weeks |
After that appointment, we decided we would tell our immediate families at Thanksgiving our wonderful news. We first had Thanksgiving with Austin's family the week before Thanksgiving. For both sets of parents, we bought frames that on one side had a poem about a Little Grandbaby and on the other side we could put an ultrasound picture. We had Austin's mom open up the present and when she realized what it was, there were tears in her eyes. :) The excitement was there in everyone that we were expecting! It was also fun because Amber and Matt were expecting a little one (who would come a week later!!) and so we were happy that our babies would be so close in age and have someone to play with growing up.
Next it was time to tell my family. We went up to Minnesota the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and by the time we got there, it was fairly late. But everyone was still up and enjoying some drinks and appetizers so we joined in! My dad offered me a glass of wine and so to not give anything away, I accepted but didn't drink any. We actually had another present for my parents that night. In October, they celebrated 30 years of marriage! So Meg, Dan and I put together a photo book of pictures throughout the thirty years and in the back we had messages from family and friends. This was the first time we were all together so we had them open the book first. I think they were pretty amazed by it and impressed at all the work it took. Especially when they got to the messages in the back. My mom made a comment that we'd never be able to top a present like this again! (Little did she know...) After they looked through the book I said that Austin and I had another present for their anniversary and my sister joked about how we were showing them up. My dad was the one to open our present and once he opened it, he looked down at it, looked at us, looked down at the picture again and then up at us and said, "You're going to make me a Grandpa?" And when we said he, he (literally) jumped out of his chair and my mom started crying. I'd say it was a pretty good response. :) Again, everyone was very excited.
So both sets of parents are very excited to be grandparents, or grandparents again. And in some cases, I would even say they are more excited than Austin and I! As my mom put it, "I think we're more excited for this baby than we were our own because this time we're not scared to death!" :) Point well made, Mom.
Again, we decided that we wanted to wait until Christmas before telling extended family and that was pretty hard for both sets of parents. :) It was also hard for us! Especially at Thanksgiving with my dad's whole side of the family asking us when we were going to have kids, telling us we need to hurry up and making sure we had an announcement to tell everyone by the time Christmas came around. :) But we managed to make it through without anyone spilling the beans.
At the beginning of December, we had our second doctor's appointment and again had another ultrasound. This time the baby looked a little bit more like a baby and was even moving around for us. It was pretty cute though - and the doctor agreed - because the little one had it's feet up in the air and ankles crossed. It was definitely just hanging out. :) This time we were also able to hear the heartbeat and that was a magical sound. Again, just reaffirming that this is really happening!
 |
| 11 weeks - with ankles crossed in the air :) |
 |
| 11 weeks - just hanging out |
Even though we had seen the baby a couple times and were able to share our excitement with family, this pregnancy was not going easy on me. From six weeks and on, I had horrible morning sickness. And it was not just in the morning, it was an all day battle. I was having a really hard time keeping most foods down and even on some really bad days, even drinking water was difficult. On top of this, I was still struggling to finish all of my high school visits. I was also constantly exhausted. Luckily, my job is pretty flexible and with comp time that I had from traveling, I was able to take days off when I needed it without using up all my sick days. Finally, when Austin was just as sick of me being sick as I probably was, he urged me to call the doctor and see what they could do. I had already tried some over the counter medicine but it wasn't helping. So I got a prescription to help with the nausea and was finally able to eat some food. It didn't make the morning sickness go away completely, but I was able to eat a little bit more. The every day morning sickness though lasted until about week 13 before it finally eased up and by that time I had lost about 20lbs. Luckily though, I was feeling much better as we headed into the holidays at home and was finally able to really eat some "real food" and all my Christmas favorites! :) Although I can tell my stomach has definitely shrunk because I can't eat very much before I get really full but at least I'm able to eat and have an appetite again! And at our most recent doctor's appointment, I was told it was okay to hit the desserts to start putting some of that weight back on. Not something you hear very often from a doctor! :)
Over the Christmas break, we were able to see most of our extended families (on both sides) and some friends and share our wonderful news with all of them. It was a lot of fun telling everyone each time we did and then answering questions and sharing stories. One of my favorite stories though is probably when we told my Grandparents on my mom's side. We skyped with them on Christmas morning and my dad actually recorded the video of us telling them. I'll share that video with you all when I can. :)
Our last doctor's appointment was on December 31st and this was just a quick one to hear the baby's heartbeat. It was a strong heartbeat in the 140's but the doctor was laughing because the little nut kept moving around! It looks like the baby already had Daddy's crazy energy! :) It really was the perfect way to end the year.
And now we're into 2013. Our due date is June 23rd and crazy enough, both Grandpa's also have birthdays in June! So I'd say it's a pretty good month! I'd also say that God's timing is pretty awesome because Austin will be done with school when the baby comes and will be able to be home with me and the baby all summer! Not only will I appreciate all the extra help, I'm sure, but it will be a great family bonding time! Our next appointment is January 22nd and we'll have our anatomy scan then to check and make sure everything is growing the way it should. We have also decided to wait and not find out the sex of the baby until he or she makes an appearance in June. :)
So life has been great. Things have been busy. And big changes are about to come. Austin and I are making sure we enjoy our lazy weekends of doing nothing and sleeping in as much as possible now before the little one arrives! :) But otherwise, it's life as normal. Austin is entering his busy time of year as he prepares students for solo/group ensemble contest and then large group contest after that. And soon I'll start traveling again with high school visits and college fairs. I'm sure the next six months are going to go by a lot faster than we hope! But I'll try to keep things updated on this blog on how everything is going with our growing family. Thank you all for your support and excitement for our little blessing. We are definitely looking forward to this next chapter in our lives!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year!
Well, as quickly as they came, the holidays are now gone. But I think I speak for both Austin and I when I say that we had a great holiday season this year.
Last year over the holidays, I was unemployed. As such, we were able to spend more time with family since AJ has a bigger break over the holidays off from school and so it worked out very nicely! But then of course I got this job. Come to find out, the university shuts down the week between Christmas and the New Year so we were able to enjoy just as much of a relaxing break this year with our families!
We started out in Tipton, spending the actual holidays with Austin's family. We had a blast - as we always do! :) We played board games, Wii games, ate A LOT of food and of course, had our traditional scavenger hunt! AJ's parents would always make a scavenger hunt for the kids growing up and it's something they continue to do, only now Matt and I get to join in on the fun as well! But this year, I decided to mix it up a little bit - we created a scavenger hunt for them! It was fun to see them "run" around the house and yard looking for their clues to find their present this year! Although, I'm not sure we'll make them do it every year... :) We even had time to make some awesome gingerbread houses... and one boat. haha Overall, it was great to be back in Tipton and spend some much needed time together with the family! It had been way too long! Here are some pictures from our time there!
After spending some time in Tipton, we headed up to Minnesota to see my family. I think they were eager for us to get there because they were waiting on us to open presents! :) Again, we enjoyed being able to just spend some relaxing time with family and seeing old friends while we were there. We also enjoyed watching an old video that we made last Christmas while our parents were away... it was quite funny. :) We even got some snow while we were there - very little!! - but enough to make it feel a little bit more like Christmas. Otherwise it was a very brown Christmas - everywhere (home in Oakland, Tipton and Minnesota!). And I mean brown, no snow whatsoever. Not even piles in the ditch. It was very sad. But anyway, we did get a light dusting in Minnesota just in time to celebrate the Reedstrom family Christmas. We had a houseful and it was so much fun! We always have a great time!
We did celebrate Mom's birthday while we were around on Friday night before we all had to leave as well! We decided to drive back home on the 31st so that we could spend a relaxing New Year's Eve at our house - really just being a boring old couple. :) But it was good to be home after being gone for so long. We really wish the rest of our family would just decide to move so that they would all be closer to us! ;-) And it was nice to have a relaxing day on Sunday before AJ had to go back to work on Monday. AJ had a professional development day on Monday, so no kids yet and then he even got the afternoon off. But that meant he was stuck at home with me cleaning the house, putting away Christmas decorations and re-organizing all of his clothes! :) I would say it was a very productive day!
Over break, AJ did have some excitement when it comes to his high school choir! They were featured on a local radio station that was featuring local talent singing Christmas songs! The recording he sent in is absolutely great (if you haven't heard it already!) and the radio even did a little bit of a back story!! You can listen to it here and you really should!!
And now it's back to the old routine of things, but in a new year. I love the start of a new year. It's a new beginning, a fresh start. A time for resolutions, although who really ever keeps those... haha The new year is a time to make new commitments. New ideas. A time for new adventures. And that's really what AJ and I are hoping for this year. We have some new ideas, some new plans and hopefully some new adventures in the works!
But, at the same time, you have to stay somewhat down to earth. You have to also realize that things don't always work out. Resolutions aren't always kept. Plans don't always go accordingly. But that's okay too. Because in one year, there will be a chance for another fresh start.
Last year over the holidays, I was unemployed. As such, we were able to spend more time with family since AJ has a bigger break over the holidays off from school and so it worked out very nicely! But then of course I got this job. Come to find out, the university shuts down the week between Christmas and the New Year so we were able to enjoy just as much of a relaxing break this year with our families!
We started out in Tipton, spending the actual holidays with Austin's family. We had a blast - as we always do! :) We played board games, Wii games, ate A LOT of food and of course, had our traditional scavenger hunt! AJ's parents would always make a scavenger hunt for the kids growing up and it's something they continue to do, only now Matt and I get to join in on the fun as well! But this year, I decided to mix it up a little bit - we created a scavenger hunt for them! It was fun to see them "run" around the house and yard looking for their clues to find their present this year! Although, I'm not sure we'll make them do it every year... :) We even had time to make some awesome gingerbread houses... and one boat. haha Overall, it was great to be back in Tipton and spend some much needed time together with the family! It had been way too long! Here are some pictures from our time there!
After spending some time in Tipton, we headed up to Minnesota to see my family. I think they were eager for us to get there because they were waiting on us to open presents! :) Again, we enjoyed being able to just spend some relaxing time with family and seeing old friends while we were there. We also enjoyed watching an old video that we made last Christmas while our parents were away... it was quite funny. :) We even got some snow while we were there - very little!! - but enough to make it feel a little bit more like Christmas. Otherwise it was a very brown Christmas - everywhere (home in Oakland, Tipton and Minnesota!). And I mean brown, no snow whatsoever. Not even piles in the ditch. It was very sad. But anyway, we did get a light dusting in Minnesota just in time to celebrate the Reedstrom family Christmas. We had a houseful and it was so much fun! We always have a great time!
Over break, AJ did have some excitement when it comes to his high school choir! They were featured on a local radio station that was featuring local talent singing Christmas songs! The recording he sent in is absolutely great (if you haven't heard it already!) and the radio even did a little bit of a back story!! You can listen to it here and you really should!!
And now it's back to the old routine of things, but in a new year. I love the start of a new year. It's a new beginning, a fresh start. A time for resolutions, although who really ever keeps those... haha The new year is a time to make new commitments. New ideas. A time for new adventures. And that's really what AJ and I are hoping for this year. We have some new ideas, some new plans and hopefully some new adventures in the works!
But, at the same time, you have to stay somewhat down to earth. You have to also realize that things don't always work out. Resolutions aren't always kept. Plans don't always go accordingly. But that's okay too. Because in one year, there will be a chance for another fresh start.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
December already?
I've decided it was time for another update blog post. I mean, I know how much you all love these! ;-)
November came and was quickly gone again. Sometimes I can't believe it's already December! But November was still a fairly busy time for us. I was busy finishing up my high school visits and AJ was busy preparing for his all-school talent show. I spent some time up in Minnesota for a friend's baby shower and it was so good to see my high school friends. We always have a great time whenever we can get together! But you can tell we're all getting older as our gatherings now include babies! :)
The all-school talent show went great for AJ and I think he was really pleased with all the acts and how well all of his students did. And then we even had some visitors! Amber and Ariel came over and the three of us (we left AJ at home...) went to go see Breaking Dawn. We've seen the last two Twilight movies together so it's become a fun tradition for us!
And then it was already Thanksgiving! We spent the weekend up in Minnesota with my family. It was great to not only have some time with just our immediate family, but to also spend Thanksgiving day with our extended family as well. And again, you can tell we're all growing up as we now have little ones to entertain us throughout the day. :) AJ especially had fun playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie with them! We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and enjoying our time off from work. We did do some Black Friday shopping - but not until later in the morning! And seeing some other friends while we were home as well. Overall, it was a great weekend! And plenty to be thankful for!
And now it's December! We welcomed December with a bit of snow on the first but nothing that really stuck. And then that first Saturday we had quite a bit of snow! It was one of those really beautiful snowfalls with the big fluffy flakes. Unfortunately, we were in Omaha for the day as I was at work and we had some shopping to do. Luckily though, we didn't run into too many problems on the drive home. Now however, all of snow has melted! And I must admit, I don't like it. I'm a big fan of having a white Christmas! Must be the whole growing up in Minnesota thing... :) But I need to have snow on Christmas. And from what my parents tell me, they don't have any snow back at home either! So here's hoping that we do get another snowfall that sticks - here, in Tipton and in Minnesota! Give me snow! :)
On Dec. 2nd, AJ had his Middle School Winter Concert. The fun part about that is that he had family that came over to surprise him! I knew ahead of time and it was fun to see his surprised face at the concert! His Mom, Grandma, Aunt Lisa and Amber all came for the concert. It was fun to have AJ walk around the corner and see them standing there! We are so blessed to have such amazing family that supports us so much! The concert itself was also amazing! Especially for a middle school concert, the sound was very good. The students were engaged and focused on what they were doing! AJ definitely knows what he's doing. I think his family were very impressed with the quality of concert it was as well, for being a middle school concert.
This past weekend we had some guests come and hang out with us! My friend Amanda and her baby Thor drove down for the weekend! The visit had been a long time coming and we were so happy it finally happened! We had a fun-filled weekend of playing with Thor and getting in some quality clans-people time! :) On Saturday we spent most of the day in Omaha at one of the malls. Amanda wanted to take Thor to see Santa! And the pictures she got were priceless! Definitely worth the 45 minutes we spent waiting in line! We all got some shopping done and ended the day at the Cheesecake Factory - which made my husband very happy! :) On Sunday we all just relaxed and didn't really do much of anything! Although we did give Thor a bath and taught him how to splash... haha They drove back home yesterday (Monday) and it was sad to see them go! We had a lot of fun! And we got a pretty good idea of what it's like to have a baby around 24/7! :) Not quite sure if we're ready for that yet... haha
Our string of visitors didn't stop there however! Yesterday we also welcomed my parents into town! They came down to see AJ's concert last night! It was wonderful of them to drive down and always great to see them! Plus, it was the first time my mom had seen our new apartment! After the concert we all went out for dinner and definitely had a good time! No offense to my sister and brother, but it was nice to spend some quality time with just AJ and my parents. I'm not sure we've really ever gotten the chance to do that. And it was really great. Again, we are truly blessed to have such supportive families! :) And today, before they headed back home to Minnesota, they drove into Omaha to see where I work and walk around UNO's campus! It's always fun to show off the place where I work and tell them about campus! :) I was even treated with a Jones Bros Cupcake before they left! Lucky me! And AJ... we of course bought one for him too!
So, as I mentioned, last night was AJ's High School Winter Concert - and his last concert for the year. The concert was incredible! It's been amazing to see how far the choir has progressed in just one short year! AJ has tripled his choir size and you could definitely tell the difference in the concert last night. Their sound was so good and the level of singing has definitely improved. AJ just has a way with students and knows how to get them to focus on what they're doing and to really put on a great show. The level of one of the songs they did was so impressive - it was a very difficult song - an All-State song, especially for such a young choir like AJ's but they did outstanding! Like I said, they've come a long way in just one year and it'll be exciting to see how Contest will go this spring and what will happen next year! It was a great concert!
I was thinking last night during the concert about when AJ first got offered the job at Riverside. I remember thinking that after he accepted the job, even though I somehow knew it was the right decision, I couldn't imagine leaving Northeast Iowa... I couldn't imagine living in Council Bluffs, in a place that was so foreign and far away from our family and friends. It was hard for me to picture what our life would be like here. But last night, as I watched AJ conduct the choir and watch how the kids responded to him, I can't imagine us being anywhere else right now.
Yes we're far away from our family. But this is where we're suppose to be. I know that without a doubt. This job at Riverside has been the perfect job for AJ. It's allowed him to really build up a program. It's allowed him to start making a name for himself. It's helped him to really develop his teaching skills and styles and to develop the program. We're in a community that has welcomed us with open arms and one that simply adores AJ. I love tagging behind AJ after a concert to listen to all the amazing compliments he receives from parents and members of the community. I love hearing AJ come home and tell me the nice things that the principal said to him that day after observing his class. I love reading emails that AJ gets from mentors or parents that talk about how they've never seen a skill and energy level like his from a second year teacher. I love being able to be so proud of my husband.
Not only has this place been great for AJ and his career, it's also been perfect for mine. I remember having to leave Kruger, a place where I've become comfortable and try to figure out what I was going to do over here. I remember applying for job and job, just trying to find anything. And then I was lucky enough to interview at UNO for the Admissions Counselor position. Getting in to admissions work in higher education is something I've always wanted to do since I graduated. I worked as a student in Wartburg's Admissions Office and loved it! But it can be hard to get into the field without having experience! So I have been so grateful for the opportunity I've been given here at UNO. And I believe that this job has helped me realize that I want to continue my career in higher education. Trying to figure out what I've wanted to do with my life has been a struggle of mine since college. And while I still don't know entirely what I want to do in life, I know I would like to stay within education - specifically higher education. And that's a good feeling.
I know I say this a lot, but God really does know what He's doing. It's just always amazing when you think back over the past year or two and you can see how everything has fallen into place exactly like it's suppose to. Looking back and and then looking at the present, seeing everything is how it's suppose to be, it makes going through those rough patches easier. It's helpful to know that those rough patches are sometimes necessary to make you stronger or to help get you to the place you are now.
Everything just takes time. Time and patience. And that's something that not a lot of us have. God's timeline is much different than ours but His is the one that counts. And it's always good when you can finally see that.
So, I strayed a bit and didn't just keep this an update blog but hopefully that's okay. :) And anyhow... right now I think AJ and I are both looking forward to Christmas break! One thing I love about my job is that we get the week off in between Christmas and New Year's! And since AJ also has a break, this means that we get some extended time with our families!! Which we love!! :) So next week we'll be heading to Tipton for a Zaruba Christmas and then the following week we're driving up to Minnesota for a late Reedstrom Christmas. It should be a great, fun and relaxing time! Now if it would just hurry up and get here! :)
November came and was quickly gone again. Sometimes I can't believe it's already December! But November was still a fairly busy time for us. I was busy finishing up my high school visits and AJ was busy preparing for his all-school talent show. I spent some time up in Minnesota for a friend's baby shower and it was so good to see my high school friends. We always have a great time whenever we can get together! But you can tell we're all getting older as our gatherings now include babies! :)
The all-school talent show went great for AJ and I think he was really pleased with all the acts and how well all of his students did. And then we even had some visitors! Amber and Ariel came over and the three of us (we left AJ at home...) went to go see Breaking Dawn. We've seen the last two Twilight movies together so it's become a fun tradition for us!
And then it was already Thanksgiving! We spent the weekend up in Minnesota with my family. It was great to not only have some time with just our immediate family, but to also spend Thanksgiving day with our extended family as well. And again, you can tell we're all growing up as we now have little ones to entertain us throughout the day. :) AJ especially had fun playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie with them! We spent the rest of the weekend relaxing and enjoying our time off from work. We did do some Black Friday shopping - but not until later in the morning! And seeing some other friends while we were home as well. Overall, it was a great weekend! And plenty to be thankful for!
And now it's December! We welcomed December with a bit of snow on the first but nothing that really stuck. And then that first Saturday we had quite a bit of snow! It was one of those really beautiful snowfalls with the big fluffy flakes. Unfortunately, we were in Omaha for the day as I was at work and we had some shopping to do. Luckily though, we didn't run into too many problems on the drive home. Now however, all of snow has melted! And I must admit, I don't like it. I'm a big fan of having a white Christmas! Must be the whole growing up in Minnesota thing... :) But I need to have snow on Christmas. And from what my parents tell me, they don't have any snow back at home either! So here's hoping that we do get another snowfall that sticks - here, in Tipton and in Minnesota! Give me snow! :)
On Dec. 2nd, AJ had his Middle School Winter Concert. The fun part about that is that he had family that came over to surprise him! I knew ahead of time and it was fun to see his surprised face at the concert! His Mom, Grandma, Aunt Lisa and Amber all came for the concert. It was fun to have AJ walk around the corner and see them standing there! We are so blessed to have such amazing family that supports us so much! The concert itself was also amazing! Especially for a middle school concert, the sound was very good. The students were engaged and focused on what they were doing! AJ definitely knows what he's doing. I think his family were very impressed with the quality of concert it was as well, for being a middle school concert.
This past weekend we had some guests come and hang out with us! My friend Amanda and her baby Thor drove down for the weekend! The visit had been a long time coming and we were so happy it finally happened! We had a fun-filled weekend of playing with Thor and getting in some quality clans-people time! :) On Saturday we spent most of the day in Omaha at one of the malls. Amanda wanted to take Thor to see Santa! And the pictures she got were priceless! Definitely worth the 45 minutes we spent waiting in line! We all got some shopping done and ended the day at the Cheesecake Factory - which made my husband very happy! :) On Sunday we all just relaxed and didn't really do much of anything! Although we did give Thor a bath and taught him how to splash... haha They drove back home yesterday (Monday) and it was sad to see them go! We had a lot of fun! And we got a pretty good idea of what it's like to have a baby around 24/7! :) Not quite sure if we're ready for that yet... haha
Our string of visitors didn't stop there however! Yesterday we also welcomed my parents into town! They came down to see AJ's concert last night! It was wonderful of them to drive down and always great to see them! Plus, it was the first time my mom had seen our new apartment! After the concert we all went out for dinner and definitely had a good time! No offense to my sister and brother, but it was nice to spend some quality time with just AJ and my parents. I'm not sure we've really ever gotten the chance to do that. And it was really great. Again, we are truly blessed to have such supportive families! :) And today, before they headed back home to Minnesota, they drove into Omaha to see where I work and walk around UNO's campus! It's always fun to show off the place where I work and tell them about campus! :) I was even treated with a Jones Bros Cupcake before they left! Lucky me! And AJ... we of course bought one for him too!
So, as I mentioned, last night was AJ's High School Winter Concert - and his last concert for the year. The concert was incredible! It's been amazing to see how far the choir has progressed in just one short year! AJ has tripled his choir size and you could definitely tell the difference in the concert last night. Their sound was so good and the level of singing has definitely improved. AJ just has a way with students and knows how to get them to focus on what they're doing and to really put on a great show. The level of one of the songs they did was so impressive - it was a very difficult song - an All-State song, especially for such a young choir like AJ's but they did outstanding! Like I said, they've come a long way in just one year and it'll be exciting to see how Contest will go this spring and what will happen next year! It was a great concert!
I was thinking last night during the concert about when AJ first got offered the job at Riverside. I remember thinking that after he accepted the job, even though I somehow knew it was the right decision, I couldn't imagine leaving Northeast Iowa... I couldn't imagine living in Council Bluffs, in a place that was so foreign and far away from our family and friends. It was hard for me to picture what our life would be like here. But last night, as I watched AJ conduct the choir and watch how the kids responded to him, I can't imagine us being anywhere else right now.
Yes we're far away from our family. But this is where we're suppose to be. I know that without a doubt. This job at Riverside has been the perfect job for AJ. It's allowed him to really build up a program. It's allowed him to start making a name for himself. It's helped him to really develop his teaching skills and styles and to develop the program. We're in a community that has welcomed us with open arms and one that simply adores AJ. I love tagging behind AJ after a concert to listen to all the amazing compliments he receives from parents and members of the community. I love hearing AJ come home and tell me the nice things that the principal said to him that day after observing his class. I love reading emails that AJ gets from mentors or parents that talk about how they've never seen a skill and energy level like his from a second year teacher. I love being able to be so proud of my husband.
Not only has this place been great for AJ and his career, it's also been perfect for mine. I remember having to leave Kruger, a place where I've become comfortable and try to figure out what I was going to do over here. I remember applying for job and job, just trying to find anything. And then I was lucky enough to interview at UNO for the Admissions Counselor position. Getting in to admissions work in higher education is something I've always wanted to do since I graduated. I worked as a student in Wartburg's Admissions Office and loved it! But it can be hard to get into the field without having experience! So I have been so grateful for the opportunity I've been given here at UNO. And I believe that this job has helped me realize that I want to continue my career in higher education. Trying to figure out what I've wanted to do with my life has been a struggle of mine since college. And while I still don't know entirely what I want to do in life, I know I would like to stay within education - specifically higher education. And that's a good feeling.
I know I say this a lot, but God really does know what He's doing. It's just always amazing when you think back over the past year or two and you can see how everything has fallen into place exactly like it's suppose to. Looking back and and then looking at the present, seeing everything is how it's suppose to be, it makes going through those rough patches easier. It's helpful to know that those rough patches are sometimes necessary to make you stronger or to help get you to the place you are now.
Everything just takes time. Time and patience. And that's something that not a lot of us have. God's timeline is much different than ours but His is the one that counts. And it's always good when you can finally see that.
So, I strayed a bit and didn't just keep this an update blog but hopefully that's okay. :) And anyhow... right now I think AJ and I are both looking forward to Christmas break! One thing I love about my job is that we get the week off in between Christmas and New Year's! And since AJ also has a break, this means that we get some extended time with our families!! Which we love!! :) So next week we'll be heading to Tipton for a Zaruba Christmas and then the following week we're driving up to Minnesota for a late Reedstrom Christmas. It should be a great, fun and relaxing time! Now if it would just hurry up and get here! :)
Friday, January 7, 2011
A New Year with a fresh start
Happy New Year everyone! I realize I've been slacking quite a bit when it comes to our blog, but I'll do my best to get back into the routine of writing. It's been a long time since my last blog - last year actually! And so there's a lot to catch up on!
AJ's last day of school before break was Dec. 22nd and the next day we headed up to Minnesota to spend the holiday with my side of the family. We spend Christmas Eve up in the cities with my dad's side of the family and exchanged gifts that started with the first letter of our middle names. Always a fun time with that side of the family and this year was no different! Although we were all entertained by my cousin's daughter Lilly who was just too cute and very helpful in opening all of our presents! :)
Christmas day was spent with just my immediate family since everyone else on my mom's side were off celebrating Christmas either in Ohio or Arizona. So we had a very relaxing day filled with gifts, hot chocolate, falling snow, Christmas movies and snacking all day long. It was perfect. My mom even managed to find the Muppet Family Christmas video - which is a classic and very hard to find! We all enjoyed watching it again, but agreed it wasn't quite the same without the old school TV commercials like our VHS recording once had! :)
On Sunday, my parents left for a Caribbean cruise and left the house to us kids. AJ and I spent our week up in Minnesota hanging out with a lot of my high school friends and spending a lot of quality time with my siblings. I honestly can't remember the last time the four of us were able to spend so much time together and have so much fun!! It was very nice that Minnesota had so much snow as well because that just added to our fun! We were able to build snowmen, build a tunnel and even go sledding! We also managed to get our car stuck in the driveway but luckily we got unstuck.
After an epic week in Minnesota, we headed back down to Council Bluffs where we were met with 60 degree weather! It was quite the change and a very welcomed one at that! For New Year's AJ's sister Amber and her husband Matt drove out to see us and spend the night in Omaha. We had gotten hotel rooms in downtown so that we wouldn't be out on the roads. We spend the day/night eating a lot of fun, playing some fun games at Dave & Buster's and bar hopping in the Old Market. We tried to stay inside as much as possible because it was freezing outside! But all in all, it was a very successful New Year's! We were even lucky enough to meet up with my cousin Courtney and her fiance Matt as they were in Omaha for a wedding that Saturday!
So that was our holiday and a great start to the New Year! And fortunately, things just keep getting better for us!
I had a phone interview the Thursday morning before AJ and I drove up to Minnesota right before Christmas with the University of Nebraska Omaha for an Admissions Counselor position. While we were driving up to Minnesota that same day, I got a call back from UNO asking me to come in to do another interview! So this past Tuesday I was on campus for my interview which included doing a 15 minute presentation on the college. After I left, I was feeling pretty good about how things went and was hoping to hear back from them within the next week. Well yesterday, Thursday, I got a call back from UNO asking if I could come in that day to meet with their Associate Vice Chancellor who oversees all Admissions. So yesterday afternoon I was back on campus and while I only thought I'd be there for about a half hour, I was actually there about two hours having some great conversations about this position and what they're hoping to see happen within the next year. Again, I left feeling really good about things.
Then this morning, I got another phone call from UNO offering me the position! I was ecstatic and accepted pretty much right away! :) I start on Monday, Jan. 18th and I couldn't be more happy and excited about this possibility. I will be focusing on two programs at UNO one of which is offered to some western Iowa counties and the other will involve some travel the Twin Cities and the Kansas City area. This is obviously a lot different from what I was doing at Kruger, but I believe that I'm going to be able to bring a lot of my experience from Kruger into my new position at UNO. I'm also just super excited to be back in higher education admissions. Back in college, I worked as a student work study in the Admissions office and did Student Ambassadors. Both of those experiences taught me that this was something I could really do with my life. Now I have that opportunity. I'm excited to start working with students and helping them make some big life changing decisions! This is a new chapter for me and I can't wait to start!
Looking back, I wasn't unemployed for that long of time, but I can mostly say that now knowing I have a job! :) In the past month or so, I was taught a lot about patience - as was AJ I'm sure! We were so ready for something to fall in place, we just had to wait for the right timing - God's timing. AJ and I are finally going to be able to get back into a great routine of things and I know we're both way excited to have dual incomes again! :)
So, for this Zaruba clan, the first week of 2011 is off to a fantastic start! And I know that the next 51 weeks are going to be just as great, if not better!
I hope God blessed each one of you with a great start to the new year and also an awesome rest of the year! We look forward to seeing what will happen in our lives and in yours. :)
AJ's last day of school before break was Dec. 22nd and the next day we headed up to Minnesota to spend the holiday with my side of the family. We spend Christmas Eve up in the cities with my dad's side of the family and exchanged gifts that started with the first letter of our middle names. Always a fun time with that side of the family and this year was no different! Although we were all entertained by my cousin's daughter Lilly who was just too cute and very helpful in opening all of our presents! :)
Christmas day was spent with just my immediate family since everyone else on my mom's side were off celebrating Christmas either in Ohio or Arizona. So we had a very relaxing day filled with gifts, hot chocolate, falling snow, Christmas movies and snacking all day long. It was perfect. My mom even managed to find the Muppet Family Christmas video - which is a classic and very hard to find! We all enjoyed watching it again, but agreed it wasn't quite the same without the old school TV commercials like our VHS recording once had! :)
On Sunday, my parents left for a Caribbean cruise and left the house to us kids. AJ and I spent our week up in Minnesota hanging out with a lot of my high school friends and spending a lot of quality time with my siblings. I honestly can't remember the last time the four of us were able to spend so much time together and have so much fun!! It was very nice that Minnesota had so much snow as well because that just added to our fun! We were able to build snowmen, build a tunnel and even go sledding! We also managed to get our car stuck in the driveway but luckily we got unstuck.
After an epic week in Minnesota, we headed back down to Council Bluffs where we were met with 60 degree weather! It was quite the change and a very welcomed one at that! For New Year's AJ's sister Amber and her husband Matt drove out to see us and spend the night in Omaha. We had gotten hotel rooms in downtown so that we wouldn't be out on the roads. We spend the day/night eating a lot of fun, playing some fun games at Dave & Buster's and bar hopping in the Old Market. We tried to stay inside as much as possible because it was freezing outside! But all in all, it was a very successful New Year's! We were even lucky enough to meet up with my cousin Courtney and her fiance Matt as they were in Omaha for a wedding that Saturday!
So that was our holiday and a great start to the New Year! And fortunately, things just keep getting better for us!
I had a phone interview the Thursday morning before AJ and I drove up to Minnesota right before Christmas with the University of Nebraska Omaha for an Admissions Counselor position. While we were driving up to Minnesota that same day, I got a call back from UNO asking me to come in to do another interview! So this past Tuesday I was on campus for my interview which included doing a 15 minute presentation on the college. After I left, I was feeling pretty good about how things went and was hoping to hear back from them within the next week. Well yesterday, Thursday, I got a call back from UNO asking if I could come in that day to meet with their Associate Vice Chancellor who oversees all Admissions. So yesterday afternoon I was back on campus and while I only thought I'd be there for about a half hour, I was actually there about two hours having some great conversations about this position and what they're hoping to see happen within the next year. Again, I left feeling really good about things.
Then this morning, I got another phone call from UNO offering me the position! I was ecstatic and accepted pretty much right away! :) I start on Monday, Jan. 18th and I couldn't be more happy and excited about this possibility. I will be focusing on two programs at UNO one of which is offered to some western Iowa counties and the other will involve some travel the Twin Cities and the Kansas City area. This is obviously a lot different from what I was doing at Kruger, but I believe that I'm going to be able to bring a lot of my experience from Kruger into my new position at UNO. I'm also just super excited to be back in higher education admissions. Back in college, I worked as a student work study in the Admissions office and did Student Ambassadors. Both of those experiences taught me that this was something I could really do with my life. Now I have that opportunity. I'm excited to start working with students and helping them make some big life changing decisions! This is a new chapter for me and I can't wait to start!
Looking back, I wasn't unemployed for that long of time, but I can mostly say that now knowing I have a job! :) In the past month or so, I was taught a lot about patience - as was AJ I'm sure! We were so ready for something to fall in place, we just had to wait for the right timing - God's timing. AJ and I are finally going to be able to get back into a great routine of things and I know we're both way excited to have dual incomes again! :)
So, for this Zaruba clan, the first week of 2011 is off to a fantastic start! And I know that the next 51 weeks are going to be just as great, if not better!
I hope God blessed each one of you with a great start to the new year and also an awesome rest of the year! We look forward to seeing what will happen in our lives and in yours. :)
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Christmas trees
I'm long overdue for an update. I know this. And I don't even have a good excuse on why I haven't written one. I mean really, I have no job right now. Maybe I've been unsure of what to say. Maybe I've been trying to just put everything behind us and move forward. I'm not sure.
It's official. I'm officially a resident of Council Bluffs. The week of Thanksgiving was my last week at Kruger. It was a short week but a long week. It was really hard to say goodbye to some people there. I'd really developed some relationships over the two years I worked there and I'm really going to miss them. I also learned a lot and grew professionally over the years. And I'm very grateful I had that opportunity. I pray that when my next opportunity comes along, it will be just as satisfying as working at Kruger.
Thanksgiving weekend was spend in Tipton for AJ and I. It was good to be out and just spend time with family. Unfortunately I was down for the count and spent most of the weekend sleeping trying to get over a cold. AJ spent the weekend with family and friends, including being a groomsman in the wedding of a good high school friend. Apparently he "danced it up" at the reception too, so it's good to know he can still have a good time when his wife is home sick and sleeping. :)
This past week has been spent with AJ at school every day and me at home. And although it might sound awesome, it can get pretty boring pretty quickly. I've managed to watch two entire seasons of Grey's Anatomy within a week. But I have gotten some other things done. I've applied for jobs every day. I've finally started to get the apartment not looking like a bachelor pad. :) I got all of our fall decorations put away and all of our Christmas decorations up. Our stockings are hung on the fireplace and our tree is lit and decorated with ornaments.
I think Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the decorations. I love the music. I love the spirit. I love the cookies! But I love what it stands for even more. I love the Christmas story. I love hearing how God sent His son into this world. I love the simple way Christ came into this world. Not in a fancy palace. Not with a big celebration. But in a manager. With just the people who loved Him.
It's easy to forget what Christmas is really about. There's so much focus on the presents, on Santa and whatnot. But there is a real reason behind this season. (Cheesy rhyming, I know...) I think that this year is a year that AJ and I are really going to remember that. It's easy to remember what Christmas is really about when you're shopping for stockings at the Dollar Tree. It's easy to remember about Christ's birth when you're living on one income. It's easy to remember the Christmas story when all you want to do is just be able to spend the holidays with your family and that nothing else matters.
One of my all time favorite things to do during this time of year is to go out in the living room late at night when everyone else is sleeping, and just sit by the Christmas tree. All the other lights are off except the tree. I've done it for as long as I can remember. There is just something so peaceful about sitting next to the tree, when all is quiet in the house and the snow makes the world so beautiful outside the window. In fact, that's exactly how I'm writing this blog. Okay, so there's no snow outside here, but I'm pretending. I guess I can't explain how much these moments mean to me.
I recently read an Advent devotion about Christmas lights. It explained that we catch glimpses of light from heaven and that they can come to us in a hymn or song. But that they come as a renewed awareness of the forgiveness, acceptance and peace that God offers us. Jesus takes these lights and fills the darkness. He is the light of the world. Maybe that's what I see when I sit by the Christmas tree.
It's official. I'm officially a resident of Council Bluffs. The week of Thanksgiving was my last week at Kruger. It was a short week but a long week. It was really hard to say goodbye to some people there. I'd really developed some relationships over the two years I worked there and I'm really going to miss them. I also learned a lot and grew professionally over the years. And I'm very grateful I had that opportunity. I pray that when my next opportunity comes along, it will be just as satisfying as working at Kruger.
Thanksgiving weekend was spend in Tipton for AJ and I. It was good to be out and just spend time with family. Unfortunately I was down for the count and spent most of the weekend sleeping trying to get over a cold. AJ spent the weekend with family and friends, including being a groomsman in the wedding of a good high school friend. Apparently he "danced it up" at the reception too, so it's good to know he can still have a good time when his wife is home sick and sleeping. :)
This past week has been spent with AJ at school every day and me at home. And although it might sound awesome, it can get pretty boring pretty quickly. I've managed to watch two entire seasons of Grey's Anatomy within a week. But I have gotten some other things done. I've applied for jobs every day. I've finally started to get the apartment not looking like a bachelor pad. :) I got all of our fall decorations put away and all of our Christmas decorations up. Our stockings are hung on the fireplace and our tree is lit and decorated with ornaments.
I think Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the decorations. I love the music. I love the spirit. I love the cookies! But I love what it stands for even more. I love the Christmas story. I love hearing how God sent His son into this world. I love the simple way Christ came into this world. Not in a fancy palace. Not with a big celebration. But in a manager. With just the people who loved Him.
It's easy to forget what Christmas is really about. There's so much focus on the presents, on Santa and whatnot. But there is a real reason behind this season. (Cheesy rhyming, I know...) I think that this year is a year that AJ and I are really going to remember that. It's easy to remember what Christmas is really about when you're shopping for stockings at the Dollar Tree. It's easy to remember about Christ's birth when you're living on one income. It's easy to remember the Christmas story when all you want to do is just be able to spend the holidays with your family and that nothing else matters.
I recently read an Advent devotion about Christmas lights. It explained that we catch glimpses of light from heaven and that they can come to us in a hymn or song. But that they come as a renewed awareness of the forgiveness, acceptance and peace that God offers us. Jesus takes these lights and fills the darkness. He is the light of the world. Maybe that's what I see when I sit by the Christmas tree.
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